(Updated the title as per the suggestion provided by some GENTLEMEN! in comments.)
Well,
I wanted to write a comment to the review titled - Palio Style Vs. Getz, but ended up writing more than 1000 characters, so, I have put it in as a complete new review.
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FIAT
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I have owned Fiat UNO(diesel) for 8 years. Last 4 yrs Fiat’s service has gone down tremendously. The Tata-Fiat tie up only made sure that existing dealers and customers didn’t dump their fiats. All this time I had also met a lot of Palio owners who were not very happy(Although, I have heard a lot of appreciation of Palio 1.2 NV especially its combination of performance & fuel economy).
As a golden rule remember: fiat cars in India are known for their perpetual electrical and body maintenance nitty-gritty problems. But, engine life, overall solidness and spare-parts quality is satisfactory.
But, now the catalyst why you shouldn’t buy:
1) Lack of professional services: Once you send in the car for service/repair, you are not sure if the problem would be solved correctly or not. I have to spend a lot of time in service-centers to get the job done right. I have first hand experience of pure fiat & tata-fiat work shops both(although Tata don’t service Fiat’s diesel cars).
I take my UNO to Vivek Automobiles(Mathura Road) not because its good, since I have invested in building a good repot with engineers, supervisors & even some workers there i.e. I listen to all there problems, sound supportive, give them the time & money they want to fix my car(of course I always had an alternative vehicle in the form of scooter earlier & now a Hyundai Getz)
2) Worst Resale value: A year and half ago my UNO was fetching only 70000/- and that even not because its the market standard, It is because its a diesel vehicle and the intermediary(the worker) knew that it is a well maintained vehicle, which could be used for interstate taxi service. I decided not to sell, rather
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Why Getz GVS 1.3
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I would share my findings & why I ended up buying Getz 1.3 last December(’06).
Firstly, I ruled out diesels because I don’t drive 15000 Kms every year, which means the body may not be able to survive the diesel engine(CRDi) life. Also, it means that at current petrol:diesel price ratio, it would take at least 5 yrs(75Kms) driving to break even(remember diesel cars are costlier than their petrol counterparts, and this figure of 75Kms applies to sedan diesels not hatchbacks). Moreover, we already have a Fiat UNO Diesel which would definitely last another 70000 Kms or 1.5 - 2 years, without any major engine work.
Secondly, at that time I knew Swift CRDi is on the corners but, ruled it out because Swift is not truly a comfortable car for 5 adults. It is wider than most cars of its segment, but I always felt a lack of space, especially at the rear-seat and the utility of its dickey. Also, I would have had to wait for another 3 months.(Also, I am a kind of person who prefers comfort more than looks.)
In December’ 06, Hyundai gave a decent 20K discount which added to the 10K discount & mp3 player & 4th free service from the dealer. This made the 1.3 L Getz GVS competitive with likes of Esteem, Indigo and Ikon. On road price went down to almost 4.6Lacs, but of course mfr year of 2006 would mean lesser resale value. On the other hand, the European success of Getz coupled with better interiors was lucrative.
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My Experience with Getz.
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With in city it is smooth, easy to park & maneuver, its sturdy, provides sufficient flexibility in terms of boot space which is helped with 60:40 folding seats. AC(in 1.3L) is decent supported with a strong 4th fan speed. Gives fuel economy(FE) of 12-14kmpl if you are a gentle driver. Some rash driving & poor maintenance leads to a FE of 9-10 kmpl. It has decent ergonomics and good breathing space, thus provides feel of a midsize car. I haven’t driven it a lot on highways, but should be stable because of its weight and pushed out wheels. On performance it(1.3L) is not peppy, rather it can struggle(or take its own time) if it’s fully loaded, AC is on and you up-shift on a flyover). But, its long gears(based on ball-joint) mean maximum comfort in city driving.
The two best features, I like in it are: It’s 3rd gear which you don’t need to shift if speed is between 25-60 kmph(recommended is 30-50 in 3rd gear for max FE). Its 1st gear can easily do between 0-20 kmph. Both these, lead to minimal gear changes in NCR traffic.
Another feature is that: rear seat is tilt-able to 4 different levels. And If I tilt it to the straightest level and remove the dickey tray, I can keep 2 full size suitcases & still have 3 people sit in rear seat in decent comfort(This is something I believe even Palio & an UNO is capable of). So, it’s decent for those few trips to Airport / Stations. Obviously, you have to determine your own preferences/needs before deciding the car to buy.
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At last,
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I would suggest that Palio generation won’t last another 3 years, it would be obsolete in another year, unless Fiat launches a series of new models to keep the Fiat brand alive - which I doubt very much because Fiat has launched a number of small car models in Italy, none of which have made to India.(FIAT currently is following a strategy where it’s helping companies like Tata, Maruti-Suzuki & GM to introduce new engine technologies/sizes – i.e. R&D support)
With Regards,
-Vinay